Ben Barnes endowment to foster public leadership at LBJ School

November 8, 2000

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AUSTIN, Texas—A new endowed fellowship program has been created in honor of former Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes at The University of Texas at Austin's LBJ School of Public Affairs. The endowment recognizes Barnes' leadership and interest in higher education.

The endowment campaign will culminate with a dinner to formally honor Barnes on Thursday (Nov. 9) at the Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum. Led by George Christian, Lowell Lebermann, Bernard Rapoport and Larry Temple, the campaign committee has raised the $1 million goal and expects to exceed that amount.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and UT Austin President Larry R. Faulkner, are scheduled to speak. Dallas businessman Cappy McGarr will preside over the evening's festivities. Guests will include campaign committee honorary chair LadyBird Johnson and her former press secretary, Liz Carpenter.

The Ben Barnes Fellowships program is part of a major initiative by the LBJ School of Public Affairs to increase fellowship support for students. The fellowships will be used to recruit top students from across the nation who have a demonstrated interest in public leadership.

LBJ School Dean Edwin Dorn said the endowment reflects Barnes' longstanding contributions to higher education in Texas. "Ben Barnes did more for education in Texas than virtually any other state political leader. This endowment recognizes his continuing commitment to producing the leaders our state will need in the 21st century," said Dorn.

For more information, contact Joe Youngblood, LBJ School of Public Affairs, (512) 471-2760.